The present invention relates to a confectionery product comprising chocolate together with a chewy sweet component having a base of a continuous syrup comprising a solution of sugars, sugar substitutes and/or glucose syrups in water.
In European Patent Application Publication No. 0 603 467, the contents of which are hereby incorporated into the present specification, a method is described for the cold extrusion of chocolate or a fat-containing confectionery material in a solid or semi-solid non-pourable form whereby the extruded product has a temporary flexibility or plasticity enabling it to be physically manipulated or plastically deformed, e.g. it can be cut, bent, twisted or injected into a mould.
As is well known, chewy sweets have a base of a continuous syrup comprising a solution of sugars, sugar substitutes and/or glucose syrups in water together with other ingredients dissolved or dispersed within to modify the texture, flavour and appearance, e.g. milk, fats such as milk fats, flavours, colouring agents, proteins, hydrocolloids such as starch or gelatin, gums such as gum arabic, emulsifiers, sugar crystals, etc., and which may be caramelised in the case of toffee and caramel. Toffees and caramels normally contain as basic ingredients, sugar, glucose syrup, milk protein, fat, salt and water. Formulations of toffees and caramels are described in the book xe2x80x9cSugar Confectionery Manufacturexe2x80x9d edited by E. B. Jackson, Chapter 9xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cCaramel Toffee and Fudgexe2x80x9d by D. Stansell, published by Blackie, 1990.
Mention here is made that the name caramel is also used for products made by the breakdown of carbohydrates by heat or by heat and alkali treatment, which products are predominantly used as colouring materials, and it should be understood that caramel in this sense is not used in the present invention.
Chewy sweets such as toffees and caramels have a characteristic flavour, texture and mouthfeel which is distinct from chocolate. Products containing both chocolate and either toffee or caramel are known but in such products, the toffee and caramel are distributed separately within the chocolate. For example, one product comprising a bar of chocolate having dispersed therein pieces of caramel is prepared by mixing liquid chocolate with pieces of caramel. Another product comprising toffee surrounded by a chocolate coating is prepared by incorporating liquid toffee into a shell moulded chocolate.
It is possible to produce a product comprising a more intimate mixture of toffee and chocolate by mixing liquid toffee and liquid chocolate. The temperature of the ingredients is typically 30xc2x0 C. or higher provided that both ingredients are in liquid state. The liquid state leads to intimate mixing and the production of a homogeneous product.
It surprisingly has been found that use of a cold extrusion process similar to that described in the above-mentioned application, European Application Publication No. 0 603 467, enables production of a product which is an intimate mixture of chocolate together with a chewy sweet component but which is not homogeneous. This product comprises a chocolate matrix having veins or strands of chewy sweet dispersed therein and has a unique texture which combines the smooth mouthfeel and bite of the chocolate with the flavour and chewy texture of the chewy sweet. Accordingly, the present invention provides a candy product (referred to the reminder of this specification as a xe2x80x9cconfectionery productxe2x80x9d comprising chocolate or a fat-containing material together with a chewy sweet component (referred to in the claims below as a xe2x80x9cconfectionary compositionxe2x80x9d) having a base of a continuous syrup comprising a solution of sugars, sugar substitutes and/or glucose syrups in water characterised in that the confectionery product comprises a chocolate matrix having veins or strands of chewy sweet dispersed throughout and a method for preparing the product comprises extruding a mixture of the chocolate or fat-containing confectionery material together with the chewy sweet component at a temperature at which both ingredients, throughout the extrusion process, are in a solid or semi-solid non-pourable or non-flowable form from a point of being fed into the extruder until emerging from a die.
Typically, the veins or strands of chewy sweet are dispersed throughout the chocolate matrix in a roughly longitudinal direction, as a result of the extrusion process.